130th Ohio General Assembly
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Sub. S. B. No. 102As Passed by the Senate
As Passed by the Senate

125th General Assembly
Regular Session
2003-2004
Sub. S. B. No. 102


SENATORS Wachtmann, Jacobson, Prentiss



A BILL
To amend sections 119.12, 3733.02, 3781.06, and 4743.05 and to enact sections 4781.01, 4781.02, 4781.03, 4781.04, 4781.05, 4781.06, 4781.07, 4781.08, 4781.09, 4781.10, 4781.11, 4781.12, 4781.13, and 4781.14 of the Revised Code to establish the Ohio Manufactured Homes Commission to regulate the installation of manufactured housing in Ohio.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 119.12, 3733.02, 3781.06, and 4743.05 be amended and sections 4781.01, 4781.02, 4781.03, 4781.04, 4781.05, 4781.06, 4781.07, 4781.08, 4781.09, 4781.10, 4781.11, 4781.12, 4781.13, and 4781.14 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 119.12.  Any party adversely affected by any order of an agency issued pursuant to an adjudication denying an applicant admission to an examination, or denying the issuance or renewal of a license or registration of a licensee, or revoking or suspending a license, or allowing the payment of a forfeiture under section 4301.252 of the Revised Code, may appeal from the order of the agency to the court of common pleas of the county in which the place of business of the licensee is located or the county in which the licensee is a resident, except that appeals from decisions of the liquor control commission, the state medical board, state chiropractic board, manufactured homes commission, and board of nursing shall be to the court of common pleas of Franklin county. If any such party is not a resident of and has no place of business in this state, the party may appeal to the court of common pleas of Franklin county.
Any party adversely affected by any order of an agency issued pursuant to any other adjudication may appeal to the court of common pleas of Franklin county, except that appeals from orders of the fire marshal issued under Chapter 3737. of the Revised Code may be to the court of common pleas of the county in which the building of the aggrieved person is located.
This section does not apply to appeals from the department of taxation.
Any party desiring to appeal shall file a notice of appeal with the agency setting forth the order appealed from and the grounds of the party's appeal. A copy of such notice of appeal shall also be filed by the appellant with the court. Unless otherwise provided by law relating to a particular agency, such notices of appeal shall be filed within fifteen days after the mailing of the notice of the agency's order as provided in this section. For purposes of this paragraph, an order includes a determination appealed pursuant to division (C) of section 119.092 of the Revised Code.
The filing of a notice of appeal shall not automatically operate as a suspension of the order of an agency. If it appears to the court that an unusual hardship to the appellant will result from the execution of the agency's order pending determination of the appeal, the court may grant a suspension and fix its terms. If an appeal is taken from the judgment of the court and the court has previously granted a suspension of the agency's order as provided in this section, such suspension of the agency's order shall not be vacated and shall be given full force and effect until the matter is finally adjudicated. No renewal of a license or permit shall be denied by reason of such suspended order during the period of the appeal from the decision of the court of common pleas. In the case of an appeal from the state medical board or state chiropractic board, the court may grant a suspension and fix its terms if it appears to the court that an unusual hardship to the appellant will result from the execution of the agency's order pending determination of the appeal and the health, safety, and welfare of the public will not be threatened by suspension of the order. This provision shall not be construed to limit the factors the court may consider in determining whether to suspend an order of any other agency pending determination of an appeal.
The final order of adjudication may apply to any renewal of a license or permit which has been granted during the period of the appeal.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any order issued by a court of common pleas or a court of appeals suspending the effect of an order of the liquor control commission issued pursuant to Chapter 4301. or 4303. of the Revised Code that suspends, revokes, or cancels a permit issued under Chapter 4303. of the Revised Code, or that allows the payment of a forfeiture under section 4301.252 of the Revised Code, shall terminate not more than six months after the date of the filing of the record of the liquor control commission with the clerk of the court of common pleas and shall not be extended. The court of common pleas, or the court of appeals on appeal, shall render a judgment in that matter within six months after the date of the filing of the record of the liquor control commission with the clerk of the court of common pleas. A court of appeals shall not issue an order suspending the effect of an order of the liquor control commission that extends beyond six months after the date on which the record of the liquor control commission is filed with a court of common pleas.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any order issued by a court of common pleas suspending the effect of an order of the state medical board or state chiropractic board that limits, revokes, suspends, places on probation, or refuses to register or reinstate a certificate issued by the board or reprimands the holder of such a certificate shall terminate not more than fifteen months after the date of the filing of a notice of appeal in the court of common pleas, or upon the rendering of a final decision or order in the appeal by the court of common pleas, whichever occurs first.
Within thirty days after receipt of a notice of appeal from an order in any case in which a hearing is required by sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code, the agency shall prepare and certify to the court a complete record of the proceedings in the case. Failure of the agency to comply within the time allowed, upon motion, shall cause the court to enter a finding in favor of the party adversely affected. Additional time, however, may be granted by the court, not to exceed thirty days, when it is shown that the agency has made substantial effort to comply. Such record shall be prepared and transcribed and the expense of it shall be taxed as a part of the costs on the appeal. The appellant shall provide security for costs satisfactory to the court of common pleas. Upon demand by any interested party, the agency shall furnish at the cost of the party requesting it a copy of the stenographic report of testimony offered and evidence submitted at any hearing and a copy of the complete record.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any party desiring to appeal an order or decision of the state personnel board of review shall, at the time of filing a notice of appeal with the board, provide a security deposit in an amount and manner prescribed in rules that the board shall adopt in accordance with this chapter. In addition, the board is not required to prepare or transcribe the record of any of its proceedings unless the appellant has provided the deposit described above. The failure of the board to prepare or transcribe a record for an appellant who has not provided a security deposit shall not cause a court to enter a finding adverse to the board.
Unless otherwise provided by law, in the hearing of the appeal, the court is confined to the record as certified to it by the agency. Unless otherwise provided by law, the court may grant a request for the admission of additional evidence when satisfied that such additional evidence is newly discovered and could not with reasonable diligence have been ascertained prior to the hearing before the agency.
The court shall conduct a hearing on such appeal and shall give preference to all proceedings under sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code, over all other civil cases, irrespective of the position of the proceedings on the calendar of the court. An appeal from an order of the state medical board issued pursuant to division (G) of either section 4730.25 or 4731.22 of the Revised Code, or the state chiropractic board issued pursuant to section 4734.37 of the Revised Code, or the liquor control commission issued pursuant to Chapter 4301. or 4303. of the Revised Code shall be set down for hearing at the earliest possible time and takes precedence over all other actions. The hearing in the court of common pleas shall proceed as in the trial of a civil action, and the court shall determine the rights of the parties in accordance with the laws applicable to such action. At such hearing, counsel may be heard on oral argument, briefs may be submitted, and evidence introduced if the court has granted a request for the presentation of additional evidence.
The court may affirm the order of the agency complained of in the appeal if it finds, upon consideration of the entire record and such additional evidence as the court has admitted, that the order is supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence and is in accordance with law. In the absence of such a finding, it may reverse, vacate, or modify the order or make such other ruling as is supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence and is in accordance with law. The court shall award compensation for fees in accordance with section 2335.39 of the Revised Code to a prevailing party, other than an agency, in an appeal filed pursuant to this section.
The judgment of the court shall be final and conclusive unless reversed, vacated, or modified on appeal. Such appeals may be taken either by the party or the agency, shall proceed as in the case of appeals in civil actions, and shall be pursuant to the Rules of Appellate Procedure and, to the extent not in conflict with those rules, Chapter 2505. of the Revised Code. Such appeal by the agency shall be taken on questions of law relating to the constitutionality, construction, or interpretation of statutes and rules of the agency, and in such appeal the court may also review and determine the correctness of the judgment of the court of common pleas that the order of the agency is not supported by any reliable, probative, and substantial evidence in the entire record.
The court shall certify its judgment to such agency or take such other action necessary to give its judgment effect.
Sec. 3733.02.  (A)(1) The public health council, subject to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt, and has the exclusive power to adopt, rules of uniform application throughout the state governing the review of plans, issuance of flood plain management permits, and issuance of licenses for manufactured home parks; the location, layout, density, construction, drainage, sanitation, safety, and operation of those parks; blocking and tiedowns of mobile and manufactured homes in those parks; and notices of flood events concerning, and flood protection at, those parks. The rules pertaining to flood plain management shall be consistent with and not less stringent than the flood plain management criteria of the national flood insurance program adopted under the "National Flood Insurance Act of 1968," 82 Stat. 572, 42 U.S.C.A. 4001, as amended. The rules shall not apply to the construction, erection, or manufacture of any building to which section 3781.06 of the Revised Code is applicable.
(2) The rules pertaining to manufactured home parks constructed after June 30, 1971, shall specify that each home must be placed on its lot to provide not less than fifteen feet between the side of one home and the side of another home, ten feet between the end of one home and the side of another home, and five feet between the ends of two homes placed end to end.
(3) The public health council, subject to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules of uniform application throughout the state governing installation, blocking, and tiedown of manufactured housing in manufactured home parks. The rules pertaining to the standards governing and inspections of the installation, blocking, and tiedown of manufactured housing in a manufactured home park, and any rules pertaining to the design, construction, installation, approval, and inspection of foundations and base support systems for manufactured housing in a manufactured home park shall be identical to the rules pertaining to those subjects the manufactured homes commission adopts pursuant to section 4781.04 of the Revised Code. The rules shall specify that all inspections of the installation, blocking, and tiedown of manufactured housing in a manufactured home park the department of health or a licensor conducts shall be conducted by a person who has completed an installation training course approved by the manufactured homes commission pursuant to division (B) of section 4781.04 of the Revised Code.
As used in division (A)(3) of this section, "manufactured housing" has the same meaning as in section 4781.01 of the Revised Code.
(B) The public health council, subject to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules of uniform application throughout the state governing the review of plans and issuance of licenses for and the location, layout, construction, drainage, sanitation, safety, and operation of recreational vehicle parks, recreation camps, and combined park-camps. The rules shall not apply to the construction, erection, or manufacture of any building to which section 3781.06 of the Revised Code is applicable.
(C) The public health council, subject to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules of uniform application throughout the state governing the review of plans and issuance of licenses for and the layout, sanitation, safety, and operation of temporary park-camps. The rules shall not apply to the construction, erection, or manufacture of any building to which section 3781.06 of the Revised Code is applicable.
(D) The public health council, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules of uniform application throughout the state establishing requirements and procedures in accordance with which the director of health may authorize licensors for the purposes of sections 3733.022 and 3733.025 of the Revised Code. The rules shall include at least provisions under which a licensor may enter into contracts for the purpose of fulfilling the licensor's responsibilities under either or both of those sections.
Sec. 3781.06.  (A)(1) Any building that may be used as a place of resort, assembly, education, entertainment, lodging, dwelling, trade, manufacture, repair, storage, traffic, or occupancy by the public, and all other buildings or parts and appurtenances thereof erected within this state, shall be so constructed, erected, equipped, and maintained that they shall be safe and sanitary for their intended use and occupancy, except that sections 3781.06 to 3781.18 and 3791.04 of the Revised Code shall be considered as model provisions with no force and effect when applied to single-family, two-family, and three-family dwelling houses, and accessory structures incidental to those dwelling houses, that have not been constructed or erected as industrialized one-family, two-family, or three-family units or structures within the meaning of the term "industrialized unit" as provided in division (C)(3) of this section, except where the context specifies mandatory applicability.
(2) Nothing in sections 3781.06 to 3781.18 and 3791.04 of the Revised Code shall be construed to limit the power of the public health council to adopt rules of uniform application governing manufactured home parks pursuant to section 3733.02 of the Revised Code.
(B) Sections 3781.06 to 3781.18 and 3791.04 of the Revised Code shall not apply to either of the following:
(1) Buildings or structures that are incident to the use for agricultural purposes of the land on which such buildings or structures are located, provided such buildings or structures are not used in the business of retail trade. For purposes of this division, a building or structure is not considered used in the business of retail trade if fifty per cent or more of the gross income received from sales of products in the building or structure by the owner or operator is from sales of products produced or raised in a normal crop year on farms owned or operated by the seller.
(2) Existing single-family, two-family, and three-family detached dwelling houses for which applications have been submitted to the director of job and family services pursuant to section 5104.03 of the Revised Code for the purposes of operating type A family day-care homes as defined in section 5104.01 of the Revised Code.
(C) As used in sections 3781.06 to 3781.18 and 3791.04 of the Revised Code:
(1) "Agricultural purposes" include agriculture, farming, dairying, pasturage, apiculture, horticulture, floriculture, viticulture, ornamental horticulture, olericulture, pomiculture, and animal and poultry husbandry.
(2) "Building" means any structure consisting of foundations, walls, columns, girders, beams, floors, and roof, or a combination of any number of these parts, with or without other parts or appurtenances.
(3) "Industrialized unit" means a building unit or assembly of closed construction fabricated in an off-site facility, that is substantially self-sufficient as a unit or as part of a greater structure, and that requires transportation to the site of intended use. "Industrialized unit" includes units installed on the site as independent units, as part of a group of units, or incorporated with standard construction methods to form a completed structural entity. "Industrialized unit" does not include a manufactured home as defined by division (C)(4) of this section or a mobile home as defined by division (O) of section 4501.01 of the Revised Code.
(4) "Manufactured home" means a building unit or assembly of closed construction that is fabricated in an off-site facility and constructed in conformance with the federal construction and safety standards established by the secretary of housing and urban development pursuant to the "Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974," 88 Stat. 700, 42 U.S.C.A. 5401, 5403, and that has a permanent label or tag affixed to it, as specified in 42 U.S.C.A. 5415, certifying compliance with all applicable federal construction and safety standards.
(5) "Permanent foundation" means permanent masonry, concrete, or a locally approved footing or foundation approved by the manufactured homes commission pursuant to Chapter 4781. of the Revised Code, to which a manufactured or mobile home may be affixed.
(6) "Permanently sited manufactured home" means a manufactured home that meets all of the following criteria:
(a) The structure is affixed to a permanent foundation and is connected to appropriate facilities;
(b) The structure, excluding any addition, has a width of at least twenty-two feet at one point, a length of at least twenty-two feet at one point, and a total living area, excluding garages, porches, or attachments, of at least nine hundred square feet;
(c) The structure has a minimum 3:12 residential roof pitch, conventional residential siding, and a six-inch minimum eave overhang, including appropriate guttering;
(d) The structure was manufactured after January 1, 1995;
(e) The structure is not located in a manufactured home park as defined by section 3733.01 of the Revised Code.
(7) "Safe," with respect to a building, means it is free from danger or hazard to the life, safety, health, or welfare of persons occupying or frequenting it, or of the public and from danger of settlement, movement, disintegration, or collapse, whether such danger arises from the methods or materials of its construction or from equipment installed therein, for the purpose of lighting, heating, the transmission or utilization of electric current, or from its location or otherwise.
(8) "Sanitary," with respect to a building, means it is free from danger or hazard to the health of persons occupying or frequenting it or to that of the public, if such danger arises from the method or materials of its construction or from any equipment installed therein, for the purpose of lighting, heating, ventilating, or plumbing.
Sec. 4743.05.  Except as otherwise provided in sections 4701.20, 4723.062, 4723.082, and 4729.65 of the Revised Code, all money collected under Chapters 3773., 4701., 4703., 4709., 4713., 4715., 4717., 4723., 4725., 4729., 4732., 4733., 4734., 4736., 4741., 4753., 4755., 4757., 4758., 4759., 4761., 4771., and 4779., and 4781. of the Revised Code shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the occupational licensing and regulatory fund, which is hereby created for use in administering such chapters.
At the end of each quarter, the director of budget and management shall transfer from the occupational licensing and regulatory fund to the nurse education assistance fund created in section 3333.28 of the Revised Code the amount certified to the director under division (B) of section 4723.08 of the Revised Code.
At the end of each quarter, the director shall transfer from the occupational licensing and regulatory fund to the certified public accountant education assistance fund created in section 4701.26 of the Revised Code the amount certified to the director under division (H)(2) of section 4701.10 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4781.01.  As used in this chapter:
(A) "Industrialized unit" has the same meaning as in division (C)(3) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
(B) "Installation" means any of the following:
(1) The temporary or permanent construction of stabilization, support, and anchoring systems for manufactured housing;
(2) The placement and erection of a manufactured housing unit or components of a unit on a structural support system;
(3) The supporting, blocking, leveling, securing, anchoring, underpinning, or adjusting of any section or component of a manufactured housing unit;
(4) The joining or connecting of all sections or components of a manufactured housing unit.
(C) "Manufactured home" has the same meaning as in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
(D) "Manufactured home park" has the same meaning as in division (A) of section 3733.01 of the Revised Code.
(E) "Manufactured housing" means manufactured homes and mobile homes.
(F) "Manufactured housing installer" means an individual who installs manufactured housing.
(G) "Mobile home" has the same meaning as in division (O) of section 4501.01 of the Revised Code.
(H) "Model standards" means the federal manufactured home installation standards established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 5404.
(I) "Permanent foundation" has the same meaning as in division (C)(5) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4781.02. (A) There is hereby created the manufactured homes commission which consists of nine members, with three members appointed by the governor, three members appointed by the president of the senate, and three members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(B)(1) Commission members shall be residents of this state, except for members appointed pursuant to divisions (B)(3)(b) and (B)(4)(a) of this section. Members shall be selected from a list of persons the Ohio manufactured homes association, or any successor entity, recommends, except for appointments made pursuant to division (B)(2) of this section.
(2) The governor shall appoint the following members:
(a) One member to represent the board of building standards, who may be a member of the board or a board employee not in the classified civil service, with an initial term ending December 31, 2007;
(b) One member to represent the department of health, who may be a department employee not in the classified civil service, with an initial term ending December 31, 2005;
(c) One member whose primary residence is a manufactured home, with an initial term ending December 31, 2006.
(3) The president of the senate shall appoint the following members:
(a) Two members who are manufactured housing installers who have been actively engaged in the installation of manufactured housing for the five years immediately prior to appointment, with the initial term of one installer ending December 31, 2007 and the initial term of the other installer ending December 31, 2005.
(b) One member who manufactures manufactured homes in this state or who manufactures manufactured homes in another state and ships homes into this state, to represent manufactured home manufacturers, with an initial term ending December 31, 2006.
(4) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint the following members:
(a) One member who operates a manufactured or mobile home retail business in this state to represent manufactured and mobile home retailers, with an initial term ending December 31, 2007;
(b) One member who is a manufactured home park operator or is employed by an operator, with an initial term ending December 31, 2005;
(c) One member to represent the Ohio manufactured home association, or any successor entity, who may be the president or executive director of the association or the successor entity, with an initial term ending December 31, 2006.
(C)(1) After the initial term, each term of office is for four years ending on the thirty-first day of December. A member holds office from the date of appointment until the end of the term. No member may serve more than two consecutive four-year terms.
(2) Any member appointed to fill a vacancy that occurs prior to the expiration of a term continues in office for the remainder of that term. Any member continues in office subsequent to the expiration date of the term until the member's successor takes office or until sixty days have elapsed, which ever occurs first.
(3) A vacancy on the commission does not impair the authority of the remaining members to exercise all of the commission's powers.
(D)(1) The governor may remove any member from office for incompetence, neglect of duty, misfeasance, nonfeasance, malfeasance, or unprofessional conduct in office.
(2) Vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.
Sec. 4781.03.  (A) No member of the manufactured homes commission may participate in any vote regarding a contract or license the commission awards if the member has a direct pecuniary or fiduciary interest in that contract or license.
(B) The commission shall meet at least three times each calendar year, upon the call of the chairperson or the written request of a majority of the members. The chairperson shall establish the time and place for each meeting. Five members constitute a quorum, and at least five votes are necessary for the commission to take action.
(C)(1) The commission shall elect a member as chairperson and a member as vice-chairperson, with each serving for one year.
(2) The chairperson shall preside at all meetings with the vice-chairperson presiding in the chairperson's absence. At any time the chairperson and vice-chairperson are absent from a meeting when a quorum exists, the members present shall elect a presiding officer to act during the absence of the chairperson and vice-chairperson.
(D) Members of the commission receive no compensation for serving on the commission. Members are entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their official duties, including travel expenses.
(E) The commission may employ administrative staff, not in the classified civil service, including an executive director, to serve at the pleasure of the commission to carry out duties and functions the commission authorizes.
(F) Serving as a member of the manufactured homes commission does not constitute holding a public office or position of employment, and service on the commission is not grounds for removing a commission member from a public office or position of employment.
Sec. 4781.04. (A) The manufactured homes commission shall adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to do all of the following:
(1) Establish uniform standards that govern the installation of manufactured housing. The standards shall be consistent with, and not less stringent than, the model standards for the design and installation of manufactured housing adopted by the secretary of the United States department of housing and urban development or manufacturers' standards that the secretary determines are equal to or not less stringent than the model standards.
(2) Govern the inspection of the installation of manufactured housing. The rules shall specify that the department of health or a licensor, as determined by the director of health, shall conduct all inspections of the installation of manufactured housing located in manufactured home parks to determine compliance with the uniform installation standards the commission establishes pursuant to this section. The rules shall specify that all installation inspections in a manufactured home park the department of health or the licensor conducts shall be conducted by a person who has completed an installation training course approved by the commission pursuant to division (B) of section 4781.04 of the Revised Code.
As used in division (A)(2) of this section, "licensor" has the same meaning as in section 3733.01 of the Revised Code.
(3) Govern the design, construction, installation, approval, and inspection of foundations and the base support systems for manufactured housing. The rules shall specify that the department of health or the licensor, as determined by the director of health, shall conduct all inspections of the installation, foundations, and base support systems of manufactured housing located in manufactured home parks to determine compliance with the uniform installation standards and foundation and base support system design the commission establishes pursuant to this section. The rules shall specify that all foundation and base support system inspections in a manufactured home park the department of health or the licensor conducts shall be conducted by a person who has completed an installation training course approved by the commission pursuant to division (B) of section 4781.04 of the Revised Code.
As used in this section, "licensor" has the same meaning as in section 3733.01 of the Revised Code.
(4) Govern the training, experience, and education requirements for manufactured housing installers;
(5) Establish a code of ethics for manufactured housing installers;
(6) Govern the issuance, revocation, and suspension of licenses to manufactured housing installers;
(7) Establish fees for the issuance and renewal of licenses, for conducting inspections to determine an applicant's compliance with this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant to it, and for the commission's expenses incurred in implementing this chapter;
(8) Establish conditions under which a licensee may enter into contracts to fulfill the licensee's responsibilities;
(9) Govern the investigation of complaints concerning any violation of this chapter or the rules adopted pursuant to it or complaints involving the conduct of any licensed manufactured housing installer or person installing manufactured housing without a license;
(10) Establish a dispute resolution program for the timely resolution of warranty issues involving new manufactured homes, disputes regarding responsibility for the correction or repair of defects in manufactured housing, and the installation of manufactured housing. The rules shall provide for the timely resolution of disputes between manufacturers, retailers, and installers regarding the correction or repair of defects in manufactured housing that are reported by the purchaser of the home during the one year period beginning on the date of installation of the home. The rules also shall provide that decisions made regarding the dispute under the program are not binding upon the purchaser of the home or the other parties involved in the dispute unless the purchaser so agrees in a written acknowledgement that the purchaser signs and delivers to the program within ten business days after the decision is issued.
(11) Establish the requirements and procedures for the certification of building departments and building department personnel pursuant to section 4781.07 of the Revised Code;
(12) Establish fees to be charged to building departments and building department personnel applying for certification and renewal of certification pursuant to section 4781.07 of the Revised Code;
(13) Carry out any other provision of this chapter.
(B) The manufactured homes commission shall do all of the following:
(1) Prepare and administer a licensure examination to determine an applicant's knowledge of manufactured housing installation and other aspects of installation the commission determines appropriate;
(2) Select, provide, or procure appropriate examination questions and answers for the licensure examination and establish the criteria for successful completion of the examination;
(3) Prepare and distribute any application form this chapter requires;
(4) Receive applications for licenses and renewal of licenses and issue licenses to qualified applicants;
(5) Establish procedures for processing, approving, and disapproving applications for licensure;
(6) Retain records of applications for licensure, including all application materials submitted and a written record of the action taken on each application;
(7) Review the design and plans for manufactured housing installations, foundations, and support systems;
(8) Inspect a sample of homes at a percentage the commission determines to evaluate the construction and installation of manufactured housing installations, foundations, and support systems to determine compliance with the standards the commission adopts;
(9) Investigate complaints concerning violations of this chapter or the rules adopted pursuant to it, or the conduct of any manufactured housing installer;
(10) Determine appropriate disciplinary actions for violations of this chapter;
(11) Conduct audits and inquiries of manufactured housing installers as appropriate for the enforcement of this chapter. The commission, or any person the commission employs for the purpose, may review and audit the business records of any manufactured housing installer during normal business hours.
(12) Approve an installation training course, which may be offered by the Ohio manufactured homes association or other entity;
(13) Perform any function or duty necessary to administer this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant to it.
Sec. 4781.05. The executive director of the manufactured homes commission shall do all of the following:
(A) With commission approval, secure and manage office space, supplies, and the professional and clerical staff necessary to effectively perform the executive director's and commission's duties;
(B) Pursuant to rules the commission adopts, review applications for manufactured housing installer licenses and on behalf of the commission, issue licenses to qualified persons;
(C) Administer the dispute resolution program the commission develops if the commission does not contract with the Ohio manufactured homes association or another entity to administer the program;
(D) Administer any continuing education program the commission develops;
(E) Collect fees the commission establishes;
(F) Except as provided in divisions (A)(2) and (3) of section 4781.04 of the Revised Code, employ installation inspectors and investigators to serve at the executive director's pleasure to assist in carrying out the executive director's duties under this chapter or the duties the commission delegates to the executive director;
(G) Serve as secretary of the commission and maintain a written record of the commission's meetings and proceedings;
(H) Notify manufactured housing installers of changes in this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant to it;
(I) Do all things the commission requests or delegates for the administration and enforcement of this chapter.
Sec. 4781.06.  (A) The manufactured homes commission may delegate to the executive director any of its duties set forth in division (B) of section 4781.04 of the Revised Code.
(B) The commission may enter into a contract with the Ohio manufactured homes association or another entity to administer the dispute resolution program created pursuant to section 4781.04 of the Revised Code. The contract shall specify the terms for the administration of the program.
(C)(1) The commission may enter into a contract with any private third party, municipal corporation, township, county, state agency, or the Ohio manufactured homes association, or any successor entity, to perform any of the commission's functions set forth in division (B) of section 4781.04 of the Revised Code that the commission has not delegated to the executive director. Each contract shall specify the compensation to be paid to the private third party, municipal corporation, township, county, state agency, or the Ohio manufactured homes association, or successor entity, for the performance of the commission's functions.
(2) Except as provided in this division, the commission shall not enter into any contract with any person or building department to accept and approve plans and specifications or to inspect manufactured housing foundations and the installation of manufactured housing unless that person or building department is certified pursuant to section 4781.07 of the Revised Code. The commission shall not require inspectors the Ohio department of health employs to obtain certification pursuant to section 4781.07 of the Revised Code, but shall require inspectors to complete an installation training course approved by the commission pursuant to division (B) of section 4781.04 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4781.07. (A) Pursuant to rules the manufactured homes commission adopts, the commission may certify municipal, township, and county building departments and the personnel of those departments, or any private third party, to exercise the commission's enforcement authority, accept and approve plans and specifications for foundations, support systems and installations, and inspect manufactured housing foundations, support systems, and manufactured housing installations. Any certification is effective for three years.
(B) Following an investigation and finding of facts that support its action, the commission may revoke or suspend certification. The commission may initiate an investigation on its own motion or the petition of a person affected by the enforcement or approval of plans.
Sec. 4781.08. (A) The manufactured homes commission shall issue a manufactured housing installer's license to any applicant who is at least eighteen years of age and meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Submits an application to the commission on a form the commission prescribes and pays the fee the commission requires;
(2) Completes all training requirements the commission prescribes;
(3) Meets the experience requirements the commission prescribes by rule;
(4) Has at least one year of experience installing manufactured housing under the supervision of a licensed manufactured home installer if applying for licensure after January 1, 2006;
(5) Has completed an installation training course the commission approves, which may be offered by the Ohio manufactured homes association or other entity;
(6) Receives a passing score on the licensure examination the commission administers;
(7) Provides information the commission requires to demonstrate compliance with this chapter and the rules the commission adopts;
(8) Provides the commission with three references from persons who are retailers, manufacturers, or manufactured home park operators familiar with the person's installation work experience and competency, with at least two of the three references provided after January 1, 2006, being from persons who are licensed manufactured housing installers;
(9) Has liability insurance or a surety bond that is issued by an insurance or surety company authorized to transact business in Ohio, in the amount the commission specifies, and containing the terms and conditions the commission requires;
(10) Is in compliance with section 4123.35 of the Revised Code.
(B) The commission shall not grant a license to any person who the commission finds has engaged in actions during the previous two years that constitute a ground for denial, suspension, or revocation of a license or who has had a license revoked or disciplinary action imposed by the licensing or certification board of another state or jurisdiction during the previous two years in connection with the installation of manufactured housing.
(C) Any person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise approved under the laws of another state to perform functions substantially similar to those of a manufactured housing installer may apply to the commission for licensure on a form the commission prescribes. The commission shall issue a license if the standards for licensure, certification, or approval in the state in which the applicant is licensed, certified, or approved are substantially similar to or exceed the requirements set forth in this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant to it. The commission may require the applicant to pass the commission's licensure examination.
(D) Any license issued pursuant to this section shall bear the licensee's name and post-office address, the issue date, a serial number the commission designates, and the signature of the commission chairperson or a person the commission designates pursuant to rules.
(E) A manufactured housing installers license expires two years after it is issued. The commission shall renew a license if the applicant does all of the following:
(1) Meets the requirements of division (A) of this section;
(2) Demonstrates compliance with the requirements of this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant to it;
(3) Meets the commission's continuing education requirements.
(F) No manufactured housing installer's license may be transferred to another person.
Sec. 4781.09. (A) The manufactured homes commission may deny, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew the license of any manufactured home installer for any of the following reasons:
(1) Failure to satisfy the requirements of section 4781.08 or 4781.10 of the Revised Code;
(2) Violation of this chapter or any rule adopted pursuant to it;
(3) Making a material misstatement in an application for a license;
(4) Installing manufactured housing without a license or without being under the supervision of a licensed manufactured housing installer;
(5) Failure to appear for a hearing before the commission or to comply with any final adjudication order of the commission issued pursuant to this chapter;
(6) Conviction of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude;
(7) Having had a license revoked, suspended, or denied by the commission during the preceding two years;
(8) Having had a license revoked, suspended, or denied by another state or jurisdiction during the preceding two years;
(9) Engaging in conduct in another state or jurisdiction that would violate this chapter if committed in this state.
(10) Failing to provide written notification of an installation pursuant to division (D) of section 4781.11 of the Revised Code to a county treasurer or county auditor.
(B)(1) Any person whose license or license application is revoked, suspended, denied, or not renewed or upon whom a civil penalty is imposed pursuant to division (C) of this section may request an adjudication hearing on the matter within thirty days after receipt of the notice of the action. The hearing shall be held in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.
(2) Any licensee or applicant may appeal an order made pursuant to an adjudication hearing in the manner provided in section 119.12 of the Revised Code.
(3) Any action against the commission and any appeal from a determination or decision the commission renders shall be brought in the court of common pleas of Franklin county.
(C) As an alternative to suspending, revoking, or refusing to renew a manufactured housing installer's license, the commission may impose a civil penalty of not less than one hundred dollars or more than five hundred dollars per violation of this chapter or any rule adopted pursuant to it. The commission shall deposit penalties in the occupational licensing and regulatory fund pursuant to section 4743.05 of the Revised Code.
(D) A person whose license is suspended, revoked, or not renewed may apply for a new license two years after the date on which the license was suspended, revoked, or not renewed.
Sec. 4781.10. (A) The manufactured homes commission may establish programs and requirements for continuing education for manufactured housing installers. The commission shall not require licensees to complete more than eight credit hours of continuing education during each license period. If the commission establishes a program of continuing education, it shall require that only courses that the commission preapproves be accepted for licensure credit, and unless an extension is granted pursuant to division (D) of this section, that all credit hours be successfully completed prior to the expiration of the installer's license.
(B) To provide the resources to administer continuing education programs, the commission may establish nonrefundable fees, including any of the following:
(1) An application fee not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars charged to the sponsor of each proposed course;
(2) A renewal fee not to exceed seventy-five dollars, charged to the sponsor of each course, for the annual renewal of course approval;
(3) A course fee charged to the sponsor of each course offered, not to exceed five dollars per credit hour, for each person completing an approved course;
(4) A student fee charged to licensees, not to exceed fifty dollars, for each course or activity a student submits to the commission for approval.
(C) The commission may adopt reasonable rules not inconsistent with this chapter to carry out any continuing education program, including rules that govern the following:
(1) The content and subject matter of continuing education courses;
(2) The criteria, standards, and procedures for the approval of courses, course sponsors, and course instructors;
(3) The methods of instruction;
(4) The computation of course credit;
(5) The ability to carry forward course credit from one year to another;
(6) Conditions under which the commission may grant a waiver or variance from continuing education requirements on the basis of hardship or other reasons;
(7) Procedures for compliance with the continuing education requirements and sanctions for noncompliance.
(D) The commission shall not renew the license of any person who fails to satisfy any continuing education requirement that the commission establishes. The commission may, for good cause, grant an extension of time to comply with the continuing education requirements. Any installer who is granted an extension and completes the continuing education requirements within the time the commission establishes is deemed in compliance with the education requirements. The license of any person who is granted an extension shall remain in effect during the period of the extension.
Sec. 4781.11.  (A)(1) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no person shall install manufactured housing unless that person is licensed as a manufactured housing installer pursuant to this chapter or unless a licensed manufactured housing installer is present during the installation and supervises the person who is not licensed.
(2) A licensed manufactured housing installer who supervises the work of an unlicensed person is responsible for all installation work that the unlicensed person performs under the licensed person's supervision.
(3) A person who is not a licensed manufactured housing installer may perform foundation or base support system construction if supervised by a licensed installer. The licensed installer need not be present during the construction of the foundation or base support system but is responsible for the construction of the foundation or base support system.
(B)(1) Nothing in this chapter requires a person to obtain a manufactured housing installer license to install manufactured housing for the person's own occupancy if the manufactured housing is located on property that the person owns and is not located in a manufactured home park.
(2) A person who installs manufactured housing in the manner described in division (B)(1) of this section is not entitled to claim any right or remedy or to bring a cause of action under this chapter.
(C) No person shall install any manufactured housing foundation or manufactured housing support system unless that foundation or support system complies with the standards the manufactured homes commission establishes and receives all approvals and inspections that the commission requires.
(D) Within fourteen days after the installation, a manufactured housing installer who performs or supervises a manufactured housing installation shall provide to both the treasurer and the auditor of the county in which the installation is being performed a written notice containing all of the following information:
(1) The address or location of the installation;
(2) The date of the installation;
(3) The make and model of the installed manufactured housing unit;
(4) The name of the owner of the installed manufactured housing unit.
(E) It is a violation of this chapter to do any of the following:
(1) Represent another person's license as a manufactured housing installer as one's own;
(2) Intentionally give false or materially misleading information of any kind to the commission or to a commission member in connection with licensing matters;
(3) Impersonate another manufactured housing installer;
(4) Use an expired, suspended, or revoked license.
Sec. 4781.12. (A) The manufactured homes commission may apply to an appropriate court to enjoin any violation of this chapter or the rules adopted pursuant to it. The court shall grant any appropriate relief, including an injunction, restraining order, or any combination thereof, upon a showing that a person has violated or is about to violate this chapter or a rule adopted pursuant to it.
(B) The prosecuting attorney of a county, a city director of law, or the attorney general may, upon the complaint of the commission, prosecute to termination or bring an action for injunction against any person violating this chapter or the rules adopted pursuant to it.
Sec. 4781.13.  The manufactured homes commission, shall deposit all receipts, from any source, in the state treasury to the credit of the occupational licensing and regulatory fund.
Sec. 4781.14.  (A) Except as provided in division (A)(3) of section 3733.02 of the Revised Code, the state, through the manufactured homes commission, has exclusive authority to regulate manufactured home installers, the installation of manufactured housing, and manufactured housing foundations and support systems in the state. By enacting this chapter, it is the intent of the general assembly to preempt municipal corporations and other political subdivisions from regulating and licensing manufactured housing installers and regulating and inspecting the installation of manufactured housing and manufactured housing foundations and support systems.
(B) Except as provided in division (A)(3) of section 3733.02 of the Revised Code, the manufactured homes commission has exclusive power to adopt rules of uniform application throughout the state governing installation of manufactured housing, the inspection of manufactured housing foundations and support systems, the inspection of the installation of manufactured housing, the training and licensing of manufactured housing installers, and the investigation of complaints concerning manufactured housing installers.
(C) Except as provided in division (A)(3) of section 3733.02 of the Revised Code, the rules the commission adopts pursuant to this chapter are the exclusive rules governing the installation of manufactured housing, the design, construction, and approval of foundations for manufactured housing, the licensure of manufactured home installers, and the fees charged for licensure of manufactured home installers. No political subdivision of the state or any department or agency of the state may establish any other standards governing the installation of manufactured housing, manufactured housing foundations and support systems, the licensure of manufactured housing installers, or fees charged for the licensure of manufactured housing installers.
(D) Nothing in this section limits the authority of the attorney general to enforce Chapter 1345. of the Revised Code or to take any action permitted by the Revised Code against manufactured housing installers, retailers, or manufacturers.
Section 2. That existing sections 119.12, 3733.02, 3781.06, and 4743.05 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.
Section 3. Section 4781.11 of the Revised Code, as enacted by this act, shall take effect one year after the effective date of this act.
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